


Bloody Petals

by ShaneFirefly



Series: One-shots I wrote at 1 am [2]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, F/F, F/M, Hanahaki Disease, Hurt No Comfort, Iceberg is for the plot, If you wanted iceberg then lmao sorry, No beta we die like...uh...oh no, One Shot, One-Sided Attraction, no happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-12 01:21:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29501928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShaneFirefly/pseuds/ShaneFirefly
Summary: Ruby makes a choice; Her life, or her friends?(THIS IS A RE-EDIT OF "BLOODY PETALS". THE ORIGINAL IS POSTED ON WATTPAD BUT I WARN YOU, IT'S CRINGE.)
Relationships: Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee
Series: One-shots I wrote at 1 am [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2165952
Kudos: 33





	Bloody Petals

_**Hanahaki disease** -_

_is a fictional disease where the victim of unrequited or one-sided love begins to vomit or cough up the petals and flowers of a flowering plant growing in their lungs, which will eventually grow large enough to render breathing impossible if left untreated._

_the victim dies unless the feelings are returned or the plants are surgically removed. But this excision also has the effect of removing the patient's capacity for romantic love._

* * *

A single white rose petal and splatters of blood decorated their marble sink, and there, in the middle of the mess, lay the petal. Pure white in color, as if freshly fallen snow.

Ruby stared at the sight in horror.

No, this was wrong, very wrong. This can't be real, this must be a mistake, a problem with her semblance. She gulped, convincing herself that it was just a minor inconvenience as she reahed to turn on the tap, cleansing the red display back to the ivory white it once was.

She also watched as the petal flowed harmlessly down the drain.

It's been weeks since she's had the cough. She knew it's been getting worse with each passing day, but she just couldn't tell what it was. A common flu, perhaps? But no, a week later, she started spitting out blood. She'll never forget the fear she felt when she took off her hand from her mouth, only to see a few specks of blood on her sickening pale skin. It's been a week since she started coughing up blood, but only now did she realize that something very wrong was going on.

And the realization hit her like a bus.

"I love her... don't I?" She asked to herself, looking up and sighing dejectedly. 

That girl...

Flashes of alabaster white hair and icy blue eyes filled her vision, her laugh echoed through her ears like a heavenly choir. It made her feel warm, but the thought of hearing her made her heart bleed.

Weiss was her best friend.

Besties do what normal besties do and have fun, paint each other's nails and talk about cute boys in class.

Best friends are not supposed to fall in love with each other.

She inhaled sharply, collecting herself before heading out.

She unlocked the door and walked out of the bathroom, she can't help but feel so alone.The school halls were empty; all students were in their respective classes and she only got an excuse because she called in sick. She wasn't wrong, though. Glynda should've noticed by now that one of the most hyperactive students suddenly lost energy. 

Ruby made her way towards their dorm room to get some rest, today was going to be a long day. 

"Ruby?"

The brunette looked up to see a familiar blonde; Yang. Her older sister seemed to notice something was off about her the instant she laid eyes on her. Yang raised an eyebrow, noting how sickly she looks. "Hey sis, are you okay? Heard you ditched Professor Port today."

Ah, yes. Professor Peter Port; She hated his class. She'd die early listening to his tales of how he took down a boar when he was 13. 

Ruby pulled herself together and mustered a tired smile. "I'm fine, Yang. Just... Tired"

It wasn't a lie.

She was, indeed, exhausted from the hacking cough she have had for more than 2 weeks. Anybody could have seen it as a cold, or worse, pneumonia. But it was much more grave; How she wished forcing some bitter liquids down her throat could make it all go away.

Her sister eyed her suspiciously, still not convinced of her state. "Just get some rest, okay?"

Yang said, worry evident in her voice as she placed a hand on her younger sister's shoulder. The normally loud sister she knew just looked at her with those caring, lilac eyes or hers. In response, Ruby nodded, her smile fading.

"Yeah..."

* * *

Ruby finally found herself in their dorm room. She let out a strained sigh of relief as she opened the door. The desperate need of sleep caused her to be allured by the beds. And, to the blue-eyed girl sitting on top of it.

Weiss was seated atop her bed, seemingly busy with something when she came in; drawing her attention towards the brunnete.

Ruby faced her, dull silver meeting the cold blue hues of the heiress. For a moment, her heart fluttered at the sudden eye contact, but at that same time, a sharp pain spiked in her chest, eliciting a wince from the girl. Ruby broke eye contact by looking away, because it hurt.

"Ruby? Are you okay?" Weiss asked, scanning her from head to toe. She did not look healthy in the slightest. "Is the cough still there?"

Weiss turned her full attention towards her best friend. So much so that she didn't notice Ruby looking at the chat she had left open for her to see.

Neptune was this popular boy with blue hair in their campus. He was kind, and tends to seem anxious at times, but otherwise a great guy.

He was also Weiss' boyfriend. The sentence really hit her, like knives continuously stabbing at her heart. But Neptune was a good guy, and Weiss deserves good things. She deserves him.

"I'm fine. I really just need some sleep" She nodded gently as she started walking towards her bed. 

Weiss gave her a tender look, concern written all over her. "I know you do, very much..."

Judging by her tone, Ruby could tell Weiss sees the black bags under her eyes, her poor posture and her pale skin. Ruby knows by this time that everyone knows she's sick, and everyone thinks that it'll pass after a few days. But it won't. Weiss... Has other things in mind. And she shouldn't worry about her, She's got Neptune to worry about.

"Hey, Aren't you supposed to be somewhere?"

Ruby asked, before gesturing towards Weiss' phone. Weiss immediately took the hint and picked it up, standing and preparing to leave the room. As she made her way to the door, She looked back once more at the weak girl, who was now laid peacefully on the comfort of her bed.

Weiss stopped, and turned back to face her. "Oh, and Ruby?" 

"Hm?" She responded with a low moan while looking over to the other girl.

"This doesn't mean I'll do your homework for you." And with that snarky, light-hearted declaration, she left and closed the door, leaving the brunette chuckling. 

She could only go so far until she coughed again. This time, she dashes towards the bathroom holding her hand up to cover her mouth.

Once she reached the bathroom, blood spilled out of her mouth like an overflowing sink. She wheezed, and painfully coughed out a dozen petals. The vines crawled up to her neck, and forced her chest to be abloom with a fatal flower's nest. She stained everything with crimson and white. So beautiful and pristine, yet also so dangerous.

To her, everything hurts.

Shutting her eyes tightly as she let out more strained coughs, feeling the petals come up her throat like blades. Once she was sure she was at least okay, she opened her eyes and looked up to the mirror. Pale complexion, black bags under her eyes, an exhausted expression and dark red liquid trailing down from her mouth and into the drain. She looked like she's been drained of life. A once happy girl, stolen by a pest that resides in her. She doesn't get it, she's supposed to be the flower, the rose with thorns..

So why did the very same thorns keep hurting her?

Before Ruby knew what was happening, she felt hot tears roll down her cheeks.

Crying.

The school's most prized student, A prodigy, the youngest in their class, had fallen into a trap she knew she couldn't get out off.

And she was _crying_.

"I'm an idiot. Stupid, stupid Ruby..."

She told herself as she wiped off the blood and tears. She looked horrible, like a mess. All because of a girl, too. Ruby took a few good minutes to clean the sink and stumble back into the bed.

Thinking she wouldn't mind, Ruby flopped down onto the nearest bed; Weiss' bed.

_"Of course she'd mind. That's totally her. She always minds."_

Ruby thought as her vision became hazy and the world around her dimmed. She had pushed herself beyond the point of exhaustion, but the thought of dying made her feel more awake than ever. There was surgery, but she didn't want these feelings to go away. It was so new, so exciting. It made her feel like on a high. It was a drug she can't get enough of, but like any drug, it slowly kills her from the inside.

 _"What if I confess?_ "

No, stop.

Although sleepy, she gave herself a mental slap for that one. That was dumb, stupid and idiotic. It's definitely what she would've done, but she wants to be mature, like Weiss. She needs to handle this alone, like Weiss. And besides, she was not gonna risk their friendship. Most importantly, she was _not_ gonna ruin Weiss' relationship.

Neptune is a good guy, and in fact, they were friends. Ruby trusts him.

Like hell if she'd risk two friendships for the sake of her stupid feelings. She'd rather take the blunt of it all rather than have others break for her. And to be fair, this was all her fault.

"Feelings die..."

A barely audible whisper, A reminder; that she was gonna give this stupid love up. That she was gonna get over it an accept it like a tough girl.

* * *

"I hate this..."

Ruby mumbled under her breath as she tossed and turned around the bed. It was near impossible to get some sleep after a few coughing fits, but she knew she needed it. If she wanted to get stronger, at least. But then again, this was incurable. 

Plus she was already starting to wheeze at that point, so it might've caused more problems that just sleep deprivation. 

She knew what she was getting herself into. It was her life or her friendship that are at stake. Truly the most difficult of choices, she has yet to make her final choice. Friends mattered to her, Weiss mattered to her. She has a life ahead of her, a bright future. If she knew about this and don't reciprocate her feelings, she'd end up dying. Weiss will blame herself. She doesn't want that, it was her fault to begin with. It's her fault for falling in love.

Opening her silver eyes, she entirely gave up the idea of sleep. For some reason, her chest felt heavier, as if a weight is pressing it down.

But it's nothing she couldn't handle.

She made her way towards the door, hoping to get some time away from all of this.

"I'll be happy to know that she's in good hands, won't I?"

She asked herself, placing a hand on her chest. Her heartbeat has slowed down, slower than that of an average human, and her breathing was ragged, like something was blocking her throat. And she's afraid.

"But why am I not happy?"

The bitter realization dawned upon her; She was in love with her. Ruby Rose had fallen for her partner, with feelings so intense she never thought about anyone else but the two of them, together. And what's worse is that there's no going back. She's stuck in this hopeless romance until she either removes the flower, or she dies.

She can fool the world, but fooling herself was much, much harder.

Ruby found herself at the garden, an empty, but lovely space. It was just outside beacon, meaning she can receive the sunlight she greatly needed. It was beautiful, rows of bushes abloom with flowers of different kinds. It was a color festival for her eyes.

But one lonely flower stood out from the rest.

In the middle of all those crimson roses, lay a single, white rose. With the petals so perfectly arranged it was hard to believe it was natural.

The brunnete plucked the flower and drew it close to her, examining the exquisite sight while twirling it lightly in her fingers. The thorns pricked her fingers, drawing blood. But what is a rose without it's thorns, right? The petals looked just like the ones she coughs up. Almost as beautiful, hauntingly beautiful.

"So this is what it looks like without all those blood, huh?"

"Yeah, I asked you to come here."

Ruby swiftly turned to the direction of the voice. It seems she's not the only one here. With a quick leap, she hid herself behind a pillar that was a few meters from where she originally stood.

"But what for?"

That voice.

_Weiss?_

She poked her head out to see two familiar faces, one with flowing white hair and the other with blue one, walking side by side. 

Right.

It must be incredibly rude to interrupt a date. So with that thought in mind, she starts to walk to the other direction, in hopes of finding another place to sulk in.

"I wanted to tell you that I do love you."

Ruby stopped dead on her tracks. Neptune's voice sounded so sincere, he sounded so innocent.

"I want you to know that, and I want you to have this."

From what she could hear, he probably pulled out a gift for her. For his princess.

"Neptune, I..."

She could hear Weiss trail off. She liked the gift, of course she did, she must've loved it.

All her thoughts of confessing left her mind.

 _No_.

She could _never_.

As the leader of Team RWBY, She must do what has to be done, and let Weiss do as she pleases. After all, She needs to let go of what was never truly hers. She needs to be mature, and mature people never let their emotions get the best of them.

"Feelings die..."

She mumbled, a reminder, that she should not feel this way. Even if her chest is tightening uncomfortably, and painfully.

"Feelings die." Another white lie.

She felt a strong , sudden urge to cough, but she held it in.

Her breathing became shallow and unsteady as she started to speed walk away from the two, still keeping quiet to make sure they wouldn't see her. She wanted to be free from this, from the clutches of these vines that held her in. Even more so now that she's feeling a deep, dark feeling in her chest.

_What is this feeling?_

It felt so bad and heavy.

It worsens her already bad condition.

Jealousy.

And that makes her even more pathetic, because she kept wishing for something that belongs to someone else. She keeps wishing for a love that doesn't belong to her.

* * *

She was back at the dorm room, slamming the door shut and startling Blake and Yang, who seemed to notice something off about her as she ran to the bathroom.

"Ruby, are-"

Blake was cut off by Ruby slamming the door to their bathroom shut. Like she was hiding something. The partners exchange a worried glance, then Yang stood up to knock on the door. 

"Ruby?"

No answer. The only sound she could hear was that of coughing, and it was getting louder and louder with each passing second. Yang knocked continuously, and loudly.

"Ruby?" Yang asked worriedly. Her concern grew, and anxiety started gnawing up at her. The coughs sounded more strained, and forced. Even she cringed when she could practically hear pain in her voice. She knocked louder, but this time, she heard nothing. No coughs. It went silent.

"Ruby!" She could take no more, and crashed her body weight into the door, successfully breaking the lock. The door flew open.

The sound of a door getting slammed open greeted Ruby, but she felt too exhausted to looked over. What Yang saw, however, sent chills down the poor blonde's spine.

Ruby lay just a few feet in front of her, blood dripping out of her mouth and the rest was splattered all over the sink. And dozens of white petals that seem to clash with the crimson red. Her sister looked horrifying, on the ground whilst leaning against a wall and her pale hands stained with her own blood.

The only sign she was alive was by her continuous coughing and trembling weakly.

"RUBY!"

This alerted Blake and she dashes towards the bathroom, looking over and nearly throwing up at the sight. But none mattered to Yang, she just ran to her sister and embraced her. Like a child going to sleep, she rocked her gently.

"Ruby? Ruby, listen. Please stay awake for me. Please, I-I...HELP!" Yang wanted to cry. Not her sister, Ruby was the only one she had left. Tai would be devastated, too. 

"HELP!" She yelled out, hoping to catch attention. She turned back to face her sister. "Ruby, stay awake, okay? I'm here now..."

The blonde didn't even notice Blake, the most quiet of them, look so panicked and ran up to the door, asking for help. This alerted a few people, and other teams. Team JNPR started to panic at the sight of Blake close to tears, but they couldn't really help when they didn't know what was happening. Blake had been too panicked to explain.

"Yang...?"

Ruby slowly opened her eyes to see a pair of lilac orbs looking at her worried, she could tell Yang was fighting back tears as she gently rocked her. A quick flashback of when Summer used to rock her to sleep. Everything felt calm. 

"I'm sorry... If I look so helpless..." She whispered, feeling the burden of her problems catching up with her in her most vulnerable state. Yang did not buy it.

"RUBY DON'T TALK LIKE THAT, WE'LL GET YOU HELP, JUST-"

Yang carried her little sister bridal style, with Blake following them to wherever they would be going. A hospital, somewhere with a nurse. Somewhere they can help her.

"The clinic is not so far from here, Yang. It's just over there"

Blake declared and she pointed over the long, long hallways they grew weary of running to. In the end of it was the clinic. It wasn't the ideal place, but it's better than nothing. Yang didn't care, she ran. She needed to save her; She's the only one she has left. She can't lose her sister too.

"As the leader of Team RWBY, It's my job to put you guys first, whatever happens. It's my title, it's given to me."

For the young, red girl, the world seemed to darken around her. Her eyes started to droop and her labored breathing became slower and slower. But she's okay. She's at peace. Because now she doesn't have to worry about her dumb feelings. Nobody has to.

"All of you should achieve the happiness you deserve." Came a feeble whisper.

The blonde shook her sister violently in an attempt to wake her up from her drowsiness. "Ruby don't say that! If you talk like that it feels you're gonna..." Yang sniffed, feeling tears sting the corner of her eyes. "You're...gonna..."

Yang finally felt tears fall down. She didn't need to be strong emotionally, she just needed to get her sister to safety. "We're almost... Ruby, we're almost..."

A breakdown. Yang was ever so close to breaking down. She was shaky, and a sobbing mess. Ruby just had to hold on a little longer, she just had to.

"Of course I love you..." Ruby breathed out, looking down. She didn't know if Yang heard her, but her words we're for an heiress she kept thinking of. 

"But if loving him makes you happy then I'll gladly set you free." She never really said that.

Ruby closed her eyes and fell into a deep, long sleep. Her shallow, but quick breaths we're no longer. The deafening sounds became background noise, until she couldn't hear it anymore. It didn't matter, so she let go, believing that she'd done the right thing and let her feelings die.

She never really said that.

And she will.

In front of her sister's eyes, she went limp. The hand the used to clutch tightly on her sister's shirt now hung loosely. Yang managed to make it to the clinic, but even the nurse panicked at the sight of Ruby. She told them to set her down at the table, and the nurse stared in horror at the bloody display before her.

Blake caught up with her and held her partner's hand reassuringly. The poor blonde couldn't even stand seeing her sister like this, she turned around and broke down on Blake. She sobbed messily, crying out her woes and tugging at the faunus' shirt tightly. 

She'd been strong for so long, she finally felt the herself break down.

Blake knew what was going on. She stared wide-eyed as the nurse frantically searched for her pulse.

And by her looks, none.

The nurse immediately started CPR on Ruby, trying to revive her.

But Blake knew very well what is happening. She'd seen other people do it before, but only now did she feel the need to cry. She knew what happened, and she felt her heart break at the sight. Blake never cried, until now.

Ruby, their fearless leader. She wasn't even fighting for her life at this point.

She was just a cold, limp body now.

Ruby is _dead_.

* * *

From behind the closed door of the bathroom, Weiss stared at the mirror with tired eyes. She had finished her little date with Neptune earlier. There's something about him that feels off. They're drifting apart slowly. It didn't end too special, he just gave her something and ran off.

Now she didn't really have any plans.

Her thoughts wandered into a certain red girl. Ruby doesn't look all too fine, She seems terribly ill. It must be time to take her to a doctor. She doesn't know if Ruby knows, but she sure as hell can tell she's been sick for a while now. The brunette kept waving it off, saying it's just a cold.

Colds don't make you cough like that.

It definitely doesn't make you spit out blood. Weiss realized that when she lent her a handkerchief to cover her mouth during one of her coughing fits. It worried her greatly, but until now, Ruby looked fine. 

She opened the tap and splashed cold water on her face to clear her head. Weiss really didn't care about anything at the moment.

She only found herself thinking and worrying about her partner.

And staring at the bloodstained, red rose petals in front of her. "I hate this..."

**Author's Note:**

> Lmao I told you I'll do it.


End file.
